Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Maria Daplyn was born in 1852 in Binham, Norfolk, England – the daughter of William Daplyn, a fisherman, & Mary Everett.
She married Edward Hubbard, a sawyer, on September 12th 1869 in Brixton, Surrey. They had 2 children, one who died in infancy, before they emigrated to Canterbury in 1873 on the Cardigan Castle.
They had a further 6 children after their arrival, 3 who also died in infancy.
When Maria signed the suffrage petition the family were living in King Street, Dunedin & Edward was working as a nightman.
Maria died on March 20th 1908 – she had gone for a walk & did not return. Her body was found later at Tomahawk Beach.
Edward told the inquest that “a few years ago she was in a mental hospital. She had been at home for a year, and improving every day”.
The finding of the inquest was - “found drowned”.
Edward died later that year on June 6th, they are buried together in the Northern Cemetery.